This is one of my very favorite recipes from Chinese restaurants. It often ends up being quite unhealthy, mostly due to the fact that there is a lot of soy sauce and oil… Although I did splurge and use Jasmine rice instead of brown rice (Trader Joe’s freezer section – already cooked, microwave 3 minutes – it’s fabulous), the rest of this recipe is pretty healthy.

I took bits and pieces from different recipes, and in the end LEFT OUT THE SOY SAUCE (recipe includes it, with an *, to remind you that you can omit) and ended up with this. Quick, easy and beyond favorite recipe!

Click HERE to print the recipe…

BEEF & GREEN BEAN STIR FRY

2 SERVINGS

Sauce

1/3 cup beef broth

*1 Tablespoon organic soy sauce low sodium

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

pinch of red pepper flakes if you like

Stir Fry

Canola oil

fresh green beans (two big handfuls of fresh with ends snipped – I used between 1/4-1/3 pound) – dry them so they don’t spit when hit oil.

1/2# stir fry meat (I used sirloin steak, or flank steak)

3-4 scallions (green onions) OR regular onion, sliced thin

Ginger (to your taste, use microplane to grate it – I used about a 1” piece)

Garlic (as much as you like)

Cooked Rice, enough for two servings.

Sesame Seeds (optional) – can toast them or use plain

Directions

The beef and green bean portion cooks quickly, so start it once your rice is almost ready.

Mix ingredients for the broth, set aside.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in large skillet over high heat. Add green beans, saute for 4 minutes. Then set aside.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in same skillet, add beef. Cook 1 minute WITHOUT MOVING over fairly high heat. Then cook another 3-4 minutes stirring.

Set aside with green beans.

Add a little more oil, add the scallions, ginger and garlic. Saute, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Add the beef and green bean mixture back to the hot skillet.

Add the broth, stir until thickened, about 1 minute, spoon on top of rice.

*I don’t use soy sauce because of an allergy – and I cannot tell a difference without it, woohoo!

Enjoy and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

I adapted this recipe from a Beef Stew recipe from Once Upon A Chef. The recipe was so tasty, but while eating it, I was thinking how good it would be minus the potatoes and carrots on top of egg noodles.

Let me tell you. This is an excellent recipe. It’s easy, makes the house smell amazing, and is so good. It’s one of those recipes that you will make over and over. Perfect for cooler weather! It would be pretty topped with fresh parsley. I just topped with salt and pepper. That little dollop of sour cream adds such a nice touch! I have also used Greek yogurt (plain) and it was equally as good!

Click HERE to print the recipe…

Stew Beef & Mushrooms Over Egg Noodles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

1 pound stew beef (I used lean)

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

~Dry stew beef pieces, sprinkle with S&P. In large heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat until hot and you can see it shimmering. Add the stew beef pieces and brown, turning with tongs (be careful not to overcrowd the pan, or the beef won’t brown. It’s OK to get brown crusty bits on the bottom of the pot, they will enhance the flavor once you add the beef stock).  Browning usually takes 5-8 minutes (browning, not cooking through). Remove from pan and set aside.

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove (I use microplane), chopped small

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

~Add ingredients to pan and cook for 5 minutes.

1 ½ teaspoons tomato paste

~Add tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.

1 ½ teaspoon all purpose flour

~Add browned stew beef back into pan, sprinkle with flour, cook 1-2 minutes or until flour dissolves.

3 cups(+) beef stock

1 cup water

~Add stock and water to pan, loosen the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. 

1 small bay leaf

Dried thyme (a sprinkle)

1 pinch of sugar

Mushrooms, washed and cut in chunks (I used an 8 oz pkg. of Cremini)

~Add to the pan, the cover and transfer to preheated oven for 2 hours.

Serve on top of Egg Noodles, cooked using directions on package. (I used ½ package) 

Topped with a little dollop of sour cream – Perfection!

Fresh parsley would be pretty sprinkled on top, if you have it.

My recipes are a guide… add more of what you like, and less of what you don’t – or substitute for something that appeals to you!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Oh, a vision of beauty, isn’t it? Toss it around, then top with some good feta. Owie! Life is good!

Have you ever roasted grape tomatoes? Like everything roasted, it brings out a wonderful sweetness.

This recipe comes together quickly – which is really nice on busy nights! Click HERE to print the recipe only…

Roasted Grape Tomatoes with Pasta, Shrimp and Feta

Start water boiling for pasta.

Oven at 400 degrees F. I usually cover a cookie sheet with foil, and put a thin coat of  olive oil.  Then I cut the grape tomatoes in half (longways) and put them into a bowl with a little olive oil (just enough to coat them) – swirl them around with your hands to coat the tomatoes and then put on foil lined baking sheet. Pop into the oven for 5-10 minutes, until they look wrinkly and look like they’ve cooked down a bit.

Boil pasta so that it’s ready to add to the skillet once the shrimp is done – about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, mince a clove or two of garlic (or use Microplane!) – in a nonstick skillet add a small amount of butter and olive oil (enough to cook the shrimp in, you don’t need a lot). Start out by sautéing the garlic for 30 seconds (once the butter/oil is hot) – stir it the entire time. Then add the shrimp. Keep tossing it around as well, so that it soaks up the garlic while it’s cooking. Cook until opaque (depending upon the size of your shrimp, cooking times vary, our fresh shrimp takes about 4 minutes give or take). Turn stove off.

Then toss the roasted tomatoes into the skillet with the shrimp, then add the hot pasta (I scoop it out and put directly into skillet, the water off of the pasta makes everything better.

Top with feta. Oh, la la! So quick and easy and oh so good!

ENJOY! Catch you back here tomorrow!

I was so fortunate growing up. I had one grandma that made wonderful cakes and another that made pies that were so outstanding. I’m not a big cake fan. Pie on the other hand, whew… Delightful! I haven’t made my grandma’s pie in years (making = eating). But we gave in for New Year’s (or around that time).

This pie is still made by my parents, sister, aunts, cousins, etc. Funny how a recipe from long ago can become such a tradition. A very welcome tradition!

Simply bake the crust, cook the filling, poor it into the baked shell, make meringue, top the filling with the meringue and pop it in the oven for a bit until the peaks are golden. What you are left with is absolute perfection!

Oh! This is a deep, dark chocolate that is so satisfying, especially with a cup of coffee.

Look at that dark chocolate!!! It makes my heart sing!! 🎶

Click HERE to print the recipe below! This will quickly become a favorite!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

How many of you love eating a submarine sandwich? Well, this salad TASTES like a submarine without the bread – it’s amazing!! We have this for dinner quite often with a small baguette (so much for no bread, but it’s much less bread!) and some olive oil for dipping… What makes this salad taste like a submarine? A few things, the lettuce being chopped, the salami and provolone and THE OREGANO. Don’t leave it out! I put very little compared to the original recipe and it was plenty, if you want just put a few shakes, but to get that oregano flavor in with everything else it’s just fabulous!

I first saw this in an email from Smitten Kitchen – Love her recipes and her blog – highly recommend!

The original recipe (PRINT HERE) makes 6 meal-size salads or 12 side portions. Make it however you like! The first photo shows only iceberg lettuce, the second photo shows both iceberg and radicchio, but no chickpeas. Good any way – the texture is fabulous, the crunch, with bits of salami and provolone. Owie, I needed this after an indulgent New Year…

 

I make it for just the two of us and there are no leftovers, BUT, my quantities are much smaller and there are a few things that I change, because it’s our preference.  Click HERE to print my version (as seen below) – this is a recipe we will be making summer and winter!

Another note… I had a hard time finding a good looking head of Iceberg the other day, and ended up buying shredded lettuce (like for tacos, etc.) it was AWESOME! I always buy organic, but this time bought regular, and having it already shredded was nice!

📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE, PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Beef Stew… fabulous when the weather turns cooler! This recipe uses one pan, a Dutch oven preferably, and cooks it low and slow. This beef stew was delicious! I made it a day ahead and served the next day so the flavors had time to meld and OH! Was it ever worth the wait! Trust me on that… The meat was so tender you could easily cut it with a fork.

This original recipe is from Once Upon A Chef. The original recipe uses 3 pounds of beef chuck, in the recipe below I changed things a bit, and made it for 2 servings with leftovers… Click HERE to print the original recipe as it or click HERE to print as shown below!  Either way, you cannot go wrong. Tweak it to make it how you like it best!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Cream cheese topped with pepper jelly. That’s it. As much or as little as you like. LOOK at how beautiful! Perfect for the Christmas holiday’s since it comes red or green. I adore the red. This was a little snack. If you have a few more people use an entire block of cream cheese (I use Neufchâtel – low fat cream cheese) – I serve with Hint of Salt Wheat Thins.

Recently I had the opportunity to taste HOMEMADE RED PEPPER JELLY (thank you JW!!) – it was the best I HAVE EVER TASTED! It’s even prettier than what is pictured above, it has little flakes of peppers, it’s as beautiful as it is delicious! A treat of the very best kind. Home grown red peppers and homemade pepper jelly. WOW! ❤️ There is no better gift!

Catch you back here tomorrow!